budget rangefinder options

folderholder · Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 102 Location: California

The lens on my Olympus 35SP is as good as anything I have ever used — and maybe better. The rest of the camera is excellent. too.

ludoo · Expire: 2011-12-05

Of the cameras mentioned, I loved the 35SP (had an SPn which is the same) but it's so large and heavy that I sold mine as I favour smaller rangefinders. As for the XA, I sold that too as it's too small to be really comfortable: the viewfinder is cramped, the rangefinder almost invisible, and the lens vignettes heavily. The Ricoh is a great little camera (I had the 500RF), with Av or fully manual controls and a sharp lens.

If you don't need a meter on your camera (which will also mean your camera will age more gracefully as CDs cells often go bad with time), there are quite a few choices, my favourites are the (hard to find) Olympus 35S II and the earlier Agfa Super Silettes with either the Solinar (Tessar) or Solagon (f2.0 Planar) lens.

If you need a meter but don't mind an ee camera, the Mamiya 135EE or Konica C35 have exceptional lenses, are small, and can be had for 10-15 euros.

estudleon · Joined: 15 May 2008 Posts: 3754 Location: Argentina

Olympus SPn (or similar)
Minox 35 (or the ricoh copy)
Canon GIII
Yashica linx 1,4 (or 5000 with 1,8 lens)
Konica SIII (the best fixed lens in rangefinder cam?).

And Olympus Pen D (D, D2 or D3), with a marvelous six elements lens.

I prefer the cam with manual control apertures/shutter (automatism only as option). If I can't select both, don't comfortable to me.

Rino.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Another vote for the Olympus XA. High quality, and a decent investment to boot. It and the Canon QL-17 GIII remain at the top of my list.

mo · Expire: 2016-07-30

What would the value be for an XA besides just the LBA value Smile

charlesyu · Joined: 13 Mar 2009 Posts: 57

i sugg yashica J. you control everything, using no any battery.